Terminal clamp.



H. F. RICHTER. TERMINAL CLAMP. APrLIoATIoN FILED AUG. 3, 190s.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

UNITED STATES T OFFICE.

IHERIVIANF. RICHTER, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-TENTH T JOSEPH R. KETCI-IAM, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON. p

TERMINAL CLAMP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led August 3, 1908.

Patented Feb. 8, 1910.

Serial No. 446,768.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERMAN F. RICHTER, a citizen ofthe United States of America, and a resident of the city of Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Terminal Clamps, of which designate corresponding parts throughout:

Figure 1 is a side view in partial section of an incandescent lamp socket illustrating an embodiment of my invention as the means for connecting the conducting wires thereto. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l and Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views illustrating the members of the socket which are equipped with my invention.

In Fig.`3 I have shown the features of the invention in connection with a base 1 constituting a detachable part of the-screwthreaded member or terminal 2 of socket 5 while in Fig. 4 the invention is illustrated in connection with the bearing plate 3 for the circuit controlling key 4 of said socket which is of an ordinary and well known type including a supporting block 6 in which plate 3 is mounted. While base 1 may be an integral part of member 2 I have shown the same formed with an angular extension 2 which is provided with a screw threaded aperture 7 adapted for engagement with the clamping screw 8 of block 6 to secure the extension in contact with the inwardly projecting flange 2 of member 2, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Numeral 3 indicates the contact spring provided on plate 3 for connection, through the bridge piece 4 carried by the spindle of key 4, with the terminal 9 of the socket in the usual manner.

Referring now more particularly to the embodiment of my invention disclosed in Fig. 3 reference numerals 1() and 11 designate companion gripping members, the former as shown consisting of a forwardly projecting flange of base 1 and the latter comprising a circular disk supported eccentrically on said base for rotary movement in either direction ,into clamping relation with member 10. While I preferably secure member 11 to its axle as 12v and journal the latter in base 1, as disclosed in Fig. 3, the axle may constitute a relatively fixed part of the device and member 11 turn thereupon as will be readily understood. The gripping portions of jaws 10 and 11 are preferably serrated to insure a firm grip on the wire when the clamp is applied, and member 11 is preferably formed with a laterally projecting portion, as 13 which restricts the -space between the jaws at the open side of the clamp and tends to crowd the wire on jaw 10 against base 1. In the outer side face of member l1 I have shown a groove 14 in which a screw drive may be engaged to turn the member. In connecting the socket with the drop wire 15, the latter is placed on base 1 between the clamping part and member 11 then turned upwardly toward member 10 until a rm grip is imposed on the wire. The relative arrangement of the members should be such that when the clamp is thus applied the point of greatest throw of member 11 will fall below its axis, whereby downward pull or strain imposed on the socket will tend to tighten the clamp.

In Fig. 4 the gripping member 11 is rotatably mounted on a base 1 consisting of an end portion of plate 3, while the companion member 10 is provided in the form of a serbase for rotary movement in either direction Signed at Seattle, Washington this 24 into clamping relation to the iiange of said day of July 1908. base, said disk having a projecting portion AN F RICHTER 0n its outer edge restricting the space be- 5 tween it and the flange of said base and Vitnesses:

tending to crowd the Wire on saidv flange FRANK E. ADAMS, against said base. JOSEPH R. KETCHAM. 

